Preston Smith will be a Steelers fan-favorite after his latest comments

Half of being a great football player is having an unequivocal passion for the game. That's something you don't have to worry about with Preston Smith. As many players cruise along their NFL careers thanks to raw physical gifts and the desire for lofty paychecks, the newest Pittsburgh Steelers defender has an unrivaled love for football.

Pittsburgh traded for Smith at the deadline roughly an hour after landing Mike Williams. While Williams is the player garnering most of the media attention, Smith will soon become a fan favorite.

Smith couldn't have made his love for the game this clearer in his first media session as a member of the Steelers. As the Packers were set to enter a bye week, the Steelers are exiting theirs. But Smith doesn't care. The 10-year NFL veteran is simply excited to play more football.

"I don't go no bye no more, but I'm excited to be here; I'm excited to play and excited to ball out," Preston Smith said during his first Steelers press conference.

One reporter then informed Smith that he's going to get 18 straight games without a break this year. But instead of complaining about getting robbed of a week off, Smith counts it as a blessing.

"Yeah, man. Eighteen straight weeks of NFL football. It's a blessing."

The long-time edge rusher, who turns 32 years old this month, had a right to gripe about losing a bye week in 2024 and not giving his body a much-needed break. Instead, Smith welcomed an extra game with open arms. If Smith suits up for every game with the Steelers, could be the only player in the NFL taking the field for 18 regular-season games this year (plus the playoffs).

After vividly expressing his love for the game, Smith was asked if he was familiar with T.J. Watt's game.

"I watched [T.J. Watt] play. He has a lot of great moves and he plays at high level," Smith explained. "Of course, I don't run that fast, but I run fast enough. You always see other edge rushers do successful things, especially across watching film, and you try to steal some things from him... He plays at a high level and makes a lot of big plays. Of course, I'll watch his film and see some things I could try to use in my game."

Steelers added the perfect team player in Preston Smith

Going from the Packers to the Steelers, there's a solid chance Smith's role decreases. The big edge rusher was credited for starting all nine games with Green Bay before being traded while playing 54 percent of the Packers' total defensive snaps.

Meanwhile, Smith joins a crowded group of edge rushers highlighted by T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. In Pittsburgh, he will be used as a rotation in a strong group of four, but he's at best third in line for snaps.

To Smith, a decreased role may not matter.

It's clear that the veteran loves football and has the perfect team-first mentality. This is something every Pittsburgh Steelers fan loves to see. Smith will humble himself. Despite starting 138 of 155 games in his career and recorded 68.5 sacks since entering the league in 2015, he's happy to take a backseat in an uber-talented pass-rusher room.

Smith has excellent self-awareness -- recognizing that he doesn't have the speed and explosion of the other guys on this team, but he knows what he brings to the table as a run defender.

At 6'5'' and 265 pounds with 34'' arms, Smith is remarkably stout at the point of attack and possesses the ability to stack and shed blockers with ease. This has always been the bread and butter of his game, and he knows it.

Not only is Preston Smith the perfect depth piece to round out the edge rusher group in Pittsburgh, but he also has the football mentality and love of the game fans wish every Steelers player had. His personality makes him extremely easy to root for.